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The financial benefits of major investigations (including the Panama Papers)

Investigative reporting is an adventure in delayed gratification. Investigations often take years to complete, precisely because what is revealed often shakes the foundations of established financial systems and complex criminal networks. While unveiling the crimes of those who deem themselves immune to scrutiny increases transparency and the potential of accountability, there are also economic benefits to investigative reporting.

All the costs of running investigations — including tools, travel expenses, people power and the actual publishing of a story — pales in comparison to the benefits and money saved or retrieved as a result of investigative stories.